Buttonhole sewing machine



Oct. 13, 1931. J. KIEWICZ BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTys.

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BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.2.

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Oct. 13, 1931. J. KIEWICZ BUTTQNHOLE SEWING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March" 29 1929 Fig.3.

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Fatentecl Oct. 13, 1931' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN KIEWICZ, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE REECE BUTTON HOLE MACHINE COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Application filed March 29, 1929. Serial No. 351,071.

This invention relates to buttonhole sewing machines and particularly to the opera tion of cutting the buttonhole and has for its general object to provide a novel means 5 for removing the chip or cloth fragment which is produced when a buttonhole with an eye is cut. p

The buttonhole cutting devices that are commonly used for cutting a buttonhole slit withan eye at one end comprise a cutting block and a cuttingknife which is formed at one endwith an eye-cutting portion designed to cut out a piece of the cloth to form the eye of the buttonhole. It is highly desirable that this cloth fragment or cloth chip should be removed from the body of the cloth before the stitching on the buttonhole is carried around the eye end thereof, otherwise such cloth fragment or cloth chip might be sewed into the buttonhole thus making an imperfect buttonh'ole.

Asstated above one of the objects of my present invention is to provide a novel means for automatically removing the cloth chip or hole so as to prevent it being sewed into. the buttonhole. In the present embodiment of my invention this is accomplished by employing, a buttonhole cutter constructed so that the cloth chip or cloth fragment will be left in the eye of the buttonhole after the latter has been cut and then providing an ejector to force this'cloth fragment out of the eye of the buttonhole which is actuated by the'relative movement that occurs between the stitch-forming mechanism and workholding means during the sewing of the buttonhole so that by the time the sewing is being carried around the eye end of the buttonhole the cloth chip will have been entirely removed therefrom and said eye will be free and open.

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawings now be described after which the novel features will be pointed'out in the-appended claims.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a buttonhole sewing Fig. 2 is a top plan view with a portion of the head broken out;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view showing the operation of ejecting the cloth-fragment from the eye of the buttonhole;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the operation of cutting the buttonhole slit;

Fig. 6 shows the cutting elements being separated after the buttonhole slit has been cut;

Fig. 7 is a view of the buttonhole slit after it is cut;

Fig. 8 is a view of the cutting element;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view showing a modification of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a side view of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a section on the line 1l11, Fig. 9.

The sewing machine herein shown has the usual stitch-forming mechanism and workholding means which are movable relative to each other. The work-holding means comprises the usual work clamps 1 which are pivotally mounted on the bed frame 2 and which co-operate with clamp plates 3 for holding the work in position. The stitch-forming mechanism comprises the usual needle 4 operating from above the work and under thread mechanism which is mounted on a turret 5 situated beneath the work, this turret having the usual throat plate 6 provided with the sewing opening to receive the needle 4 during its penetrating thrust.

The stitch-forming mechanism is herein shown as mounted on a stitch frame 7 which in turn is slidably mounted on the bed frame 2, the sliding movement of the stitch frame producing the necessary relative movement J between the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means. The movement of the stitch frame 7 as well as the operation of the sewing machine, is controlled by the main cam 8 which is carried by the stitch frame, all

as usual in buttonhole sewing machines of this type. The turret 5 is rotatably mounted in bearings 9 also carried by the stitch frame 7, this being a common construction in but tonhole sewing machines.

The buttonhole cutting elements comprise a cutting block and a cutter or die member 11 which co-operates with the cutting block to cut the buttonhole slit. The cutting block 10is herein'shown as situated beneath-the work and as carried by the. stitch frame 7. The cutter 11 is mounted on a cutter lever 12 which is pivoted at 13 to the stitch frame 7, the cutter lever projecting rearlwardly beyondits pivot and being provided with a finger portion 14; adapted to engage a cam projection 15 mounted on the main cam 8, this also being a common construction in buttonhole sewing machines of this type The action of the cam projection 15 on the 'finger 1 1 will rockthe cutter lever 12 and bring the cutter 11 intoengag'ement withthe cutting block 10.

Thecutter 11 is of thetype adapted to cut a buttonholejslit with an 'eye, such as shown in Fig.7, in which16 is the Work in which thefbuttonhole is tobecut and 17 is the buttonhole slit" which terminates at oneend' in the eye 18. The cutter 11 adapted tocut this buttonhole slit'has the usual straight cutting edge 19 designed to cut the s1it'17 and it has 7 the eye-cutting portion 20 which cuts a cloth buttonhole slit has which operates in an opening 24 formed in 5 to produce the eye 18 fragment or chip 21 out of the cloth thereby of the buttonhole. The parts as thus far described, with'the exception of the buttonhole cutter 11, may have. the construction usually found in buttonhole sewing machines of this. type. 1

In the present invention I have so con:

structed the cutter 11 that when it is raised away from the cuttingblock 10 after the en ut, the cloth chip 2 or fragment 21 willremain in the buttonhole means being provided, as will be presently described, for afterwards removing this cloth chip from the eye. For thispurpose'the buttonhole cutter'is provided with an'ejec'tor pin 22 which operatesin the eye'- cutting' portion '20 of the cutter; 'Thisej ector pin 22 is attached toone end of a spring 2.3

thecutter, the upper end of said spring being anchored tothe'cutter in some suitable way,

' as for instance by being secured to the plug 25 which is made-fast in the cutter. The construction is such that normally the lower end of the ejector pin 22 standsslightly below the cutting edge of the eye-cutting portion 20 of the cutter as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. v7 a 'When the cutter is moved into the position "shown in Fig. '5 the pressure offthe "cloth against theejector pin 22 will move it back wardly lnto' the cutter against the action of the spring 23 and whenthecutteris raised frorn'the' work as shown in'Fig. 6-the expan- I sion ofthe spring 23 moves theejectorpin 22 I downwardly, thus forcing the.cloth;fragment I 21 out'o f the eye -cutting'portion 2Q 'ofthe cutter and maintaining. said cloth fragment in position in the eye of the buttonhole:

Since the ejector pin 22 is attached to the spring 23 said pin will be retained in the cutter when the latter is elevated.

After 'thebuttonhole has been cut the stitch-formingmechanism and workeholding' means are given a relative movement to bring the parts to stitching position, at which time "the stitch-forming mechanism is set in operation tobegin the stitching on the buttonhole. The stitchingistarts at the end 26 of the/buttonhole slit and is carried do'wa'o'ne side of the buttonhole, around the eye 18 and back along the other side of the buttonhole as will "be understood by those familiar with buttonhole sewingmachines. r I a At some time after the buttonhole has been cut and before the stitching reaches; the eye of the "buttonhole the cloth fragment'21 is forced out of the buttonhole eye so that the latter will be free andclear when the stitch- I ing'is'being'ca'rried around the eye. In the present embodiment of. the invention I have provided means for accomplishing this which is, rendered operative by the-relative movement' between the stitch-forming mechanism and the -work-holdingmeans a This clearing ofthe cloth fragment from the buttonhole eye is. accomplished byan ported above the work but which is moved downwardly into posltion to engage the cloth fragmentat a suitable time'in thebuttonhole sewing cycle before the stitching is carried aroundthe eye, the movement of the ejector I memb'er'27 pushing-the clothfrag'ment 21 down outof the eye of the buttonhole.

This ejector is shown-as a finger which is secured to the end of a lever 28 that is pimounted to have both a rocking movement about a-horizontal axis to cause the-operative end 29 of -the ejector 27 to movevertically' and also a swinging-movementabout a vertical axis so that the operative end 29 of the ejector member may be brought into position over the eye of the buttonhole when it has its vertical swinging movement. This lever is shownias pivoted to a bracket'30 to turn about a horizontal axis 31"and' the bracket is pivotally mounted on the bed 2 to'turn about avertical'axis 32. -The bracket 36 is shown as acted upon. by a. spring '33 which tends to maintain it in the position shown in Fig. 2, in which position theejector finger 27 issituated at one side of the cutter and out ofline with the eye ofthe'buttonholef The lever 28is also acted upon by a spring 34 'which normally'holds it in elevated position way of the operative'parts ofthe se'wingma ejector member 27 which-is normally suptoo .voted to the bed'frame2. The lever 28 is i stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means which occurs before the stitching is carried around theeye of the buttonhole the lever 28 is swung laterally about its vertical pivot 32 into the position shown in Fi 4 and is also swung about its horizontal pivot 31 to carry the ejector finger 27 downwardly, the two movements, bringing the end 29 of said ejector finger into engagement with the cloth chip 21 which has been cut from the eye of the buttonhole and forcing the latter down through the cloth as seen in Fig. 3.

For accomplishing thismovement I have provided the stitch frame 7 with a double cam member 35 which co-operates with a pin or projection 36 carried at the rear end of the lever 28. The cam member 35 has the cam surface 37 which co-operates with the pin 36 to elevate the rear end of the lever and thereby depress the ejector finger 27 and it is also provided with the cam face 38 with which the end of the projection 36 engages to cause the lever 28 to have its lateral swinging movement about its vertical axis.

At the time that the buttonhole is being cut theparts are in the position shown in Fig. 2

and the projection 36 is at the rear of the cam faces 37, 38. As the stitch frame 7 moves rearwardly to produce the relative movement between the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means the projection 86 will ride up the cam face 37 and at the same time the end of the projection 36 will engage the cam face 38 thus giving the two movements to the lever 28 which are necessary to carry the operative end 29 of the ejector finger 27 into-its. operative position shown in Figs.,3 and 4.

I It will be remembered that the cutting elements l0 and 11 are carried by the stitch frame and thus move with the latter. As a result the cutting block 10 will be carried back beyond the eye of the buttonhole during the/movement of the stitch frame and the I parts are so adjusted that the ejector finger 27 will have its operative stroke just after the cutter block has cleared the eye of the buttonhole so that when the ejector finger engages the cloth fragment 21 the space beneath said 7 ating to restorethe ejector finger to its noreye of the buttonhole is free and there is nothing toobstruct the ejection of the cloth fragmentfrom the buttonhole eye.

'Assoon as the ejector finger 27 has performed its function it will then be immediately restored to its normal position and will thus be out of the way when the stitching is 7 being carried around the eye 18 of the buttonhole. This is provided for by making the cam 37 of such shape that the project-ion 36 will pass off from the end thereof immediately after the ejector finger 27 has operated as abovedescribed, the springs 34 and33 opermal position. When the stitch frame 7 moves in-the opposite direction,=as it does during the sewing on the second side of the buttonhole the projection 36 will pass under the cam element 35 and will emerge therefrom along the edge39 so that when the machine comes to rest the projection will be in the position shown in Fig. 2. The cam elementis carried by a resilient arm 40 secured to the stitch frame 7 at 41, the resiliency of the arm allowing the cam element to yield upwardly when the projection 36 passes underneath it upon the return movement of the stitch frame 7.

In order to prevent the ejected cloth fragments 21 from becoming entangled in the under thread mechanism which is carried by the turret 5 I have provided said turret with a deflector or chute 42 which can conveniently be made of sheet metal. This deflector is so'placed on the turret that when the latter is in the position it occupies at the time that the ejector finger 27 is operated said chute will be on the rear side of the turret and beneath the finger, as shown in Fig. 3 and hence as the cloth fragment 21 ispushed out of the buttonhole eye it will drop into the chute 42 and will be carried thereby away from the stitch-forming mechanism which is mounted on the turret 5 but which is not shown herein as it forms no part of the present invention.

The under portion 43 of the stitch frame 7 is provided with a delivery tube or pipe 44 which is located so that when the chute 42 is in its operative position the lower end of the chute is in line with the upper end of the tube 44. Consequently the cloth fragments which are pushed out of the eye of the buttonhole will drop into the chute 42 and will be directed thereby into the tube 44, which will deliver them from the lower end of the machine and below all the operating mechanism.

I have also provided means whereby the ejector finger 27 may be rendered operative or inoperative at the will of the operator. Since this ejector finger 27 has for its object the displacement from the eye of the buttonhole of the cloth fragment formed by cutting the eye said finger will have no function to perform in case the buttonhole is one that is not provided with an eye. The cutters 11 of these buttonhole sewing machines are interchangeable so that a cutter adapted to cut a buttonhole wit-h an eye or one adapted to cut a buttonhole Without an eye may be used. If the machine is designed to cut a buttonhole without an eye then it will be detrimental to have the ejector finger 27 operated. I have, therefore, provided means for rendering it inoperative at the. will of the operator. This comprises a wedgemember 45 carried by a lever 46 pivoted to the stitch frame at 47. When the lever is turned into the position shown in dotted lines Fig. 9 the wedge member is forced under the resilient arm 40 thereby raising the latter above the pathof movement; of the pin 36 asshown jinFig.

:Whenthe partsare in this positionthe ejector finger 27-wi11be rendered inoperative since thepin' 36 will merely move back and forth beneath-the raised'cam '35.

The lever 46 is provided with a'thumb piece 48 by which it may be manipulated.

'Icl-aim.

1'. In a' buttonhole' sewing machine, the

combination with work-holdingfmeans, 0f

buttonhole-cutting mechanism constructed-to cutda buttonhole slit with an eyeat one end,

and means separate from the buttonhole: cutting mechanism andgoperating from above the work to displace from theeye of the buttonhole the cloth. fragment produced by the outtingof said eye.

2.'In Va-buttonhole: sewing machine, the

combination with work-holding means, of

' buttonhole-cutting mechanism constructed to out a buttonhole slitwith an eye at one end,

buttonhole cutter for' cutting-a buttonhole slit ihaving aneye at oneend, a pivoted ejector finger separate'from said cutter and formed bythe cutting of said eye.

located above-the'work, and means to actuate displace from the eye of the buttonhole the cloth fragment wvhich is 4. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism and'work-holding means movable relative to h each other, of buttonhole-cutting means constructed-to out abuttonhole slitwith an eye atone end, and'means rendered operative by,

#5 the relative movement between the stitch:

forming mechanism and work-holdingmeans '1 to displace from the cloththe cloth fragment, produced by cutting the eye of the buttonhole. 7 I

5. In a. buttonhole sewing machineithe combination with stitch-forming mechanism fand work-holding means movable-relative to each other, of a buttonhole cutter to cut'a 7' buttonhole slit with an eye atone end, and

' can a buttonhble S M-i 1 5 e means operating above'the' work andactuated by said. relative movement to displace V combination with'a bed frame, of work-holdfrom'the ey the cloth fragment pr d y he cutti g f a eye. r 7

combination wi h stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means movable relative to 7 each other, ofa' buttonhole cutter to cut a buttonhole slit with an eye at one end, a

I 'pivotedejector -finger situated ;above the work; and means cooperate said'finger by.

' 11.In" anbuttonh said relative movement thereby to .displace" from the eye of the buttonhole the cloth ,fragmentproduced .bythe cutting of the eye. 7. In a'buttonhole sewing -machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means, of a buttonhole cutter-for cuttingv a buttonhole slit with an eye at one end, and means operativeduring the stitching on the buttonhole to displace from the eye the cloth fragment formed by the cuttingof said eye". 7 78.: In =a buttonhole sewi combination with stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means, of a buttonhole cutter for cutting a buttonhole slit with an ng machine, the.

frame movab-ly mounted thereon,'work-hold- M ing means carried by the bedframe, a buttonhole cutter carried by the stitch frame and constructed to cut abuttonhole slit with 7 an eye atone end, anejector fingerpivotally V mounted on the bed frame,and a cam on the stitch frame for actuatingsaidfinger to displace from the buttonhole eye the cloth frag: ment which is formed bythe cutting of said ee; a J

-10.- Inabuttonhole sewing. machine, the combination with work-holding means, of a turret for carrying under thread manipulating mechanism, a buttonhole cutter constructed to cut a buttonhole slit with an eye at one end, means operating from above the work to displace from the eye the cloth frag ment formed by cutting the eye, and a deflecting chute mounted on the turret and adapted to receive said cloth fragment when it is thus displaced.

combination with work-holding means, of .a buttonhole cutter for cutting the buttonhole slit having an eye atone end, means opera-t ing from above the work to displace from the eye of the buttonhole the cloth fragment formed by the cutting of said eye, a turret beneath the work for supporting the under thread handling mechanism, a chute carried by said turret and adapted to receive the cloth fragment as it'i's displaced, and a delivery tube to receive thecloth fragment fro th chute. s v

1 12.111 a buttonholes'ewing machine, the

ingmsans mounted thereon, a stitch frame movableon the bed frame, a buttonhole cutter 1 for cutting a buttonholeislit having an eye" atone end, a turret carried by the stitch 1e sewing'machine, the I ment as it is thus displaced, and a deliver tube carried by the stitch frame into whic the cloth fragment is delivered from the chute.

18. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of buttonhole-cutting means comprising a cutter having a slit-cutting edge and an e ecutting portion, and a cutter block with wh1ch the cutter co-operates, means to give the cutter and cutter block a movement toward and from each other, means associated with the cutter to free therefrom the cloth fragment produced by the cutting of the eye when the cutter and cutting block are separated from each other, and means operating subsequently to displace from said eye said cloth fragment.

14-. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of buttonhole-cutting means comprising a cut ting block and a buttonhole cutter having a slit-cutting edge and an eye-cutting portion, means to move the cutter toward andfrom the cutting block, an ejector pin associated with the cutter to free the eye-forming portion "thereof of the cloth fragment formed by cutting the eye as the cutter is separating from the block, and means to displace from the eye such cloth fragment.

15. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of buttonhole-cutting mechanism constructed to cut a buttonhole slit with an eye at one end, of an ejector finger situated above the work, means to actuate said finger to displace from the eye of the buttonhole the cloth fragment produced by the cutting of said eye, and means to render said finger-actuating means operative or inoperative at the will of the operator.

16. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means movable relative to each other, of a buttonhole cutter to cut a buttonhole slit with an eye at one end, means operating above the work and actuated by said relative movement to displace from the eye the cloth fragment produced by the cutting of said eye, and means to render said last-named means operative or inoperative at the will of the operator.

17. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of buttonhole-cutting mechanism constructed to i cut a buttonhole slit with an eye at one end,

a cam for operating said mechanism, an ejector finger situated above the work, and another cam for actuating said finger independently of the buttonhole-cutting mechanism and causing said finger to displace from the eye of the buttonhole the cloth fragment produced by the cutting of said eye.

18. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of

buttonhole-cutting means comprising a cutter having a slit-cutting edge and an e ecutting portion, and a cutter block with wh1ch said cutter co-operates, and means to give the cutter and cutter block a movement toward and from each other, means associated with the cutter to free therefrom the cloth fragment produced by the cutting of the eye during the separating movement of the cutter and cutting block, said fragment remaining in the buttonhole, and other means to displace from said eye said cloth fragment.

19. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with buttonhole-cutting means comprising a cutter and a cutter block with which the cutter co-operates, said cutter having a slit-cutting edge and an eye-cutting portion, means to give the cutter and cutter block a movement toward and from each other, means associated with the cutter to force outwardly from the eye-cutting portion thereof the cloth fragment produced by the cutting of the eye during the separating movement of the cutter and cutter block, said fragment remaining in the buttonhole, and other means operative subsequently to displace said cloth fragment from the eye of the buttonhole.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN KIEWICZ. 

